Leica Unveils 3 New Wide-Angle M Lenses

[Ronald M]

I like the smaller hoods on my 24 & 28. 50 collapsible V2 is a favorite. Big wide hoods is a DSLR thing.

Leica is all about small in my opinion. I own fast lenses and they are seldom used.

 

[jonmanjiro]

like how is a lens optimized for digital anyways? :/

"optimized for digital" usually just means a more telecentric optical design > light rays exiting the rear of the lens reach the sensor (or film) at a less oblique angle.

The rear element group of the old Summicron 35/2 ASPH sticks out the back of the lens by quite a few millimeters whereas the rear element of the new Summicron 35/2 ASPH appears to be flush with the innermost part of the mount, so the new lens certainly appears to have a more telecentric optical design than the lens it replaces.

 

[newsgrunt]

I really like my 24 Summilux but would be more than happy with e Summicron version as well. and same goes for 21 😉

 

[jonmanjiro]

So the position of the rear element is much more important than the size of the rear element?

Size is also an important factor as the rear element has to be large enough to produce an image circle that fully covers the sensor at all focus distances. The further the rear optical group is pushed away from the sensor the larger it has to be to achieve a large enough image circle.

 

[Antielectrons]

Apparently the images are cropped, in the drawings of the optical formula you can see they 'stick' out into the lens mount just like the old versions

 

[jonmanjiro]

Apparently the images are cropped, in the drawings of the optical formula you can see they 'stick' out into the lens mount just like the old versions

Ahhhh damn, perhaps only minor tweaks to existing designs then... 😕

I tried to find the new optical formulas on Leica's website, without any luck (not that I searched that hard though!). Could you post links to where you found the new optical formulas? Thanks!

 

[music_healing]

I ve read the announcement ...

the new improved design.. I assume , they are improved for digital sensor only ?

So for Film M ... the results from previous version of 35 Cron asph, 28 Cron asph and 28 elmarit asph .. all would be the same ?
any information on that ?

I hope the 3 new M improved lenses would bring down the old version price a bit


Sincerely
William Jusuf

 

[jonmanjiro]

I ve read the announcement ... the new improved design.. I assume , they are improved for digital sensor only ?

If you did some hard looking via some heavy duty pixel peeping (I'm thinking low ISO high resolution film, use of tripod when shooting, and drum scanning and then closely scrutinizing the results here) I expect film would also show to some extent the improvements that Leica has made. None of the superseded lenses are slouches by any means in terms of performance though, so it's hard to imagine how any incremental improvements would make much, if any, difference to the final image in real world shooting. I'm not considering buying any of these new offerings personally, but I do hope someone out there does and then compares them with the superseded lenses so we can peruse and then "politely discuss" the results 😀

 

[Antielectrons]

Ahhhh damn, perhaps only minor tweaks to existing designs then... 😕

I tried to find the new optical formulas on Leica's website, without any luck (not that I searched that hard though!). Could you post links to where you found the new optical formulas? Thanks!

Sure, Leica website, service and support, downloads... all the datasheets are listed

https://us.leica-camera.com/Service-Support/Support/Downloads

 

[music_healing]

If you did some hard looking via some heavy duty pixel peeping (I'm thinking low ISO high resolution film, use of tripod when shooting, and drum scanning and then closely scrutinizing the results here) I expect film would also show to some extent the improvements that Leica has made. None of the superseded lenses are slouches by any means in terms of performance though, so it's hard to imagine how any incremental improvements would make much, if any, difference to the final image in real world shooting. I'm not considering buying any of these new offerings personally, but I do hope someone out there does and then compares them with the superseded lenses so we can peruse and then "politely discuss" the results 😀

😀 lets wait, then 🙂

I know someone , eventually, would do that ...
Bless him / her

 

[johannielscom]

If that 35mm lens would also be available in LTM mount and optimised for film (even if only in a limited run), thát would be something that would get me excited

 

[Antielectrons]

If that 35mm lens would also be available in LTM mount and optimised for film (even if only in a limited run), thát would be something that would get me excited

It is and it is (the improvements will benefit film also).

 

[Emile de Leon]

Those 11 aperture blades...should be interesting..

 

[Ruhayat]

Had a 28mm Elmarit ASPH, used it on my M7 with film. Didn't like it much, too contrasty. And too sharp! Sold it off after just 2 months, before I got my M8. Wish I'd kept it for that... I guess these aspherical Elmarits are made for digital.

But why an update of the Elmarit? I wonder why they didn't come out with a new model to complete the Summarit line instead. The Elmarits seem to be an orphan line these days. I had the 75mm Summarit previously and liked its contrast and colour better, although it is a bit "flat" compared to the APO Cron I now have.

 

[35photo]

Had a 28mm Elmarit ASPH, used it on my M7 with film. Didn't like it much, too contrasty. And too sharp! Sold it off after just 2 months, before I got my M8. Wish I'd kept it for that... I guess these aspherical Elmarits are made for digital.

But why an update of the Elmarit? I wonder why they didn't come out with a new model to complete the Summarit line instead. The Elmarits seem to be an orphan line these days. I had the 75mm Summarit previously and liked its contrast and colour better, although it is a bit "flat" compared to the APO Cron I now have.

I remember when I first got my 35 f2 ASPH 10+ years ago and seeing images from it for the first time were really eye opening more so than any other lens I've ever owned. Sharpness, Contrast, Depth.. Are the things I noticed right off the bat. As I've used to over the many of years I've noticed its nuances in the tones it renders, its very sensitive to the type of lighting situations its used in in how it renders..You have you know how to take full advantage of it.

 

[bobby_novatron]

Curious: a quick search at B+H shows the retail price of the new 35/2 ASPH is a little bit lower than the lens it replaces. The difference isn't much, and maybe it's just due to currency fluctuations -- but still, that's a pleasant surprise.

Still, I don't think I'll get rid of my (old version) 35/2 ASPH anytime soon. It's a fabulous lens.

 

[DavidKKHansen]

I hate the screw-on metal hoods that Leica is making as standard across their lenses. For me the hood on a lens is the part that takes dings and bumps and plastic is more forgiving than metal is. Depending on the thickness of the metal, of course. But Leica uses an aluminium alloy for their hoods, and I know from experience they don't take too well with bumps...

Plus changing filters takes 2 steps longer now:

Remove hood: screw-screw-screw
Remove filter: screw-screw-screw
Replace new filter: screw-screw-screw
Replace hood: screw-screw-screw

That's a lot of screwing around if you ask me! 😉

 

[Doug]

Several other Leica lenses have used this type of hood attachment for some years... including the 21 Super Elmar M that I plan to get soon. My impression, correct me if I'm in error, is that a filter can be changed without removing the hood.

 

[DavidKKHansen]

I think Leica started using these type of screw-in hoods when they released the 21mm and 24mm Summilux (+ 18mm Elmar). So that dates back to 2008... maybe? Or did they start with the 16-18-21mm lens? Actually, aren't the above lenses' hoods the type that squeezes the filter into place (as opposed to screwing in the filter)?

Regardless in any case, you cannot change filters with the screw-in metal hoods without removing them first. Only the extendable lens hoods you see on focal lengths of 50mm and longer can you remove the filter by just retracting the hood.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Plus changing filters takes 2 steps longer now:

Remove hood: screw-screw-screw
Remove filter: screw-screw-screw
Replace new filter: screw-screw-screw
Replace hood: screw-screw-screw

That's a lot of screwing around if you ask me! 😉

😀😀😀

I ended up removing the screw-in hood from my (now sold) Summilux 35mm FLE and went hoodless (with UV filter), because the stoopid thing invariably got twisted out of alignment each time the camera it was mounted on was inserted into/removed from my camera bag, resulting in even more screwing around straightening the hood every time!